Fisher 1-0 Rochester United - I just can't commit to Rochester United, says Darren Phillips

FISHER  1-0  ROCHESTER UNITED
(Fisher win 4-1 on aggregate)
Macron Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup First Round Second Leg
Monday 25^th November 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

MATT HUME is expected to return to manage Rochester United after Darren Phillips quit after nineteen games in charge.

Phillips, 35, told the players his decision to step down just minutes after the club’s Macron Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup exit at the hands of fellow strugglers Fisher inside the away dressing room at Champion Hill tonight.

Fisher will face Canterbury City in a two-legged quarter-final after they won 4-1 on aggregate.

The Fish won the game on the night courtesy of Danny Maguire’s penalty three minutes from time.

But both sides had a player sent-off leading up to the midfielder’s fourth goal of the season.  Rochester United skipper Ricki Holmes picked up his second yellow card for bringing down Fisher substitute Troy Copeland inside the box, who picked up a straight red-card for retaliation.

But the game will be best remembered for Phillips’ resignation after winning four, drawing four and losing eleven games in charge of the Medway outfit.

He said: “I thought we pretty much dominated the game. We didn’t really create anything. In terms of the football we had more of the ball and stupidness at the end we gave away a penalty and lose a player as well. It’s disappointing but the boys will go again against the same opposition (at home in the league on Saturday).

“We didn’t really create anything clear cut. The longer it goes on you have to make changes, put more forwards on. It (an early goal) never came and you end up chasing the game.”

Fisher boss Billy Walton, meanwhile, could afford a smile at the final whistle after his side secured their third home win of the season.

But he admitted: “Not too good to be honest with you! We got through the tie. I think we done all of the hard work in the first leg going down there.

“It’s a bit disappointing to be honest with you. The way we played on Saturday (drawing 2-2 at home to Lordswood) but it was a hard game on Saturday. It took a lot out of us and we did play a lot better Saturday.

“We did enough tonight. I thought we did enough to win the game, so pleasing.”

Rochester United needed an early goal to keep the tie alive but Fisher’s third goalkeeper of the season, Jack Kelly, who is on dual-registration from runaway Ryman League Division One North leaders VCD Athletic had a quiet night despite the visitors’ enjoying plenty of possession as Fisher protected their aggregate lead and maintained their first clean sheet of the season at the 21^st attempt.

Walton said: “I wonder if the chairman will give me the £1.50 he promised me out of The FA Vase? It’s nice. It’s all smiles all around.

“After Saturday, I just said we’re not a bad side. The last five games we should have won four and drawn one. Our results haven’t reflected the way our domination, possession and the way we’ve played, so it’s pleasing.

“A little run, little small things and hopefully we can build on that and look forward.”

Rochester United’s opening chance arrived inside the opening nine minutes when striker Samuel Musundi cut the ball back to Ashley Cooper, who flashed his right-footed drive from 25-yards harmlessly wide.

Rochester United continued to press and Cooper stole the ball off Fisher left-back Piers Hanifan to release George Lowes down the right who played the ball inside to Cooper, whose left-footed shot from 20-yards was charged down by Fisher defender Tom Carr.

Fisher did put the ball into the back of the net but the referee’s whistle had already been blown for a foul by the time Kieron Campbell drilled a low shot into the net from outside the penalty area following Maguire’s left-wing corner.

Phillips said he was disappointed with the manner his players squandered an excellent opportunity to break the stalemate, with a 30-yard free-kick after eighteen minutes.

Rodrique Ndiane played an unusual free-kick in from the left, which he slid just in front of the goalkeeper on the deck, expecting one of his team-mates to ghost in to stab the ball home. Instead the ball rolled harmlessly wide of the far post.

Phillips said: “They tried some things. We sent the big boys up. Ricki (Holmes), Neil (Spackman) and Ashley (Cooper). If you don’t put it in that area you’re struggling so that’s disappointing when you send the big lads up you have to get it on the keeper or get it around the penalty box. It just breaks down and you’re on the back foot again. They can try stuff, if it doesn’t work then it looks worse than it is.”

But Fisher should have killed Rochester United off with their best chance of the game towards the half-way point of the first half.

Left-winger Troy Abbey, who is the club’s leading goalscorer this season with seven goals, released attacker Kieron Campbell through on goal and after cutting inside his right-footed drive forced former Fisher keeper Joe Hagan into diving low to his right to save the shot and keep hold of the ball.

Walton said: “I don’t think we created an awful lot but what I said to them we didn’t had to go to win the game because we was already winning.

“I was just happy for us to soak up a bit of pressure. We knew they was going to throw the kitchen sink at us. I don’t really think they threatened us. It’s job well done by us.”

Rochester United’s finishing, meanwhile, was woeful despite enjoying plenty of possession.

Ndiane did well to ride a challenge in midfield before racing forwards before unleashing a right-footed drive from 30-yards which had Kelly diving to his right, but the ball flashed agonisingly wide of the foot of the left-hand post.

Rochester were thwarted when Holmes played a long ball out of defence and a mistake from Fisher defender Carr let in Musundi, but Kelly came rushing off his line to make a fine block.

Both of these sides went into the game sitting in the bottom three and lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.

Rochester United squandered an excellent chance to bring themselves back into the tie only 99 seconds into the second half.

A poor clearance out of Fisher’s defence from Harvey Hanifan went straight to Cooper, but his right-footed shot was saved by Kelly.

Phillips said: “Our efforts, they don’t open teams up and they’re sort of long shots or hoping the forwards will run after stuff. 

“When we came here in the league we beat them 2-1 and James Huggins, whose not here tonight because he’s injured, broke from midfield and he got two scrappy goals.

“I thought tonight the boys did well, played a lot of football, but we didn’t really get into the penalty box when we needed it.”

Phillips brought on former Cray Valley striker Steven Ita after 50 minutes and gave their play a shot in the arm that it needed.



Ita swung in a left-footed free-kick from the right which bounced towards the near post where Ndiane tried a speculative overhead kick which sailed harmlessly wide of the right-hand post.

Despite those couple of early chances the game then turned into a midfield battle as Fisher appeared to be content with a goal-less draw.

When asked when he felt his side had no way getting back into the tie, Phillips replied: “Probably with about twenty minutes to go! Obviously the early goal is key but we put Daniel Bowden and Steve Ita on but George (Lowes) hasn’t finished 90 minutes yet because he’s been injured a lot and he had to come off so we lost our three up front so we had to go back to a two.

“We wasn’t sure how they’d play it obviously being two goals ahead. If they opened up early (we might have had a chance), but I heard their manager say keep one up front. Fair play. They did a job.”

Rochester United should have done better in the final thirteen minutes after substitute Anthony Louch swung in a corner from the right and Fisher keeper Kelly dropped the ball and a man in an orange shirt (Fisher were in an unfamiliar strip because their black and white striped shirts were still in the wash) gleefully cleared the ball off the line.

Walton, who made reference to Dulwich Hamlet’s gloomy floodlights, added: “He just said the guy just kicked it out of his hands. To be honest with you, I can’t really see out there in these night games so I can’t see who’s who.”

Phillips added: “We’ve got to take chances basically. If their goalkeeper is going to drop stuff someone’s got to be on it! If they’re not you’ve got to have a look at what’s happening there.

“When we played Deal away we took those chances, we nicked goals, but tonight we didn’t score early and you’re chasing the play.”

Fisher probed forward and left-back Piers Hanifan joined an attack in the final ten minutes and cracked his right-footed drive sailing high over the crossbar from 30-yards.

The game looked destined to end goal-less, but Fisher won it with three minutes to go, to secure only their fourth win of the season.

Maguire whipped in a free-kick into the penalty area and eagle-eyed referee Aivaras Lukauskis spotted that Holmes had pulled Copeland to the ground, which ultimately earned the central defender a second yellow card.

However, Copeland retaliated and was shown a straight red-card and both players had to be separated after they squared-up to each other as they made the walk of shame towards the players’ tunnel.

Once calm was restored, Maguire stepped up and stroked the resulting right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner to maintain his 100% success rate from the spot this season.

Both managers were asked their thoughts on the incident.

Walton said: “I just went in to the referee to ask him and he just said Troy punched him in the stomach – retaliation.”

Walton claimed: “I just said to all the players in the (dressing room) and they said no he never threw a punch at all! He just threw the guy off him because the guy was strangling him and pulled him to the floor.

“I’m a bit like the Premiership people, I don’t want to say anything about the referee. I think you can judge it yourself.”

Phillips added: “The way he blew up I thought he had given a penalty because of people’s reactions but you can’t see what’s going on. Then he shows the two boys the cards to go off. It’s ridiculous really. There was hardly anything in the game, just a few tackles (Rochester won the foul count 18-16). Whatever happened has happened, he’s given a penalty, just get on with the game!”

And on the clinical penalty, West Ham United supporter Walton added: “I don’t want to jinx him – a bit like Julian Dicks – he don’t miss! He scores them all. I think that’s four penalties, four goals.”

Phillips admitted: “That was it really unless we scored four in the last two seconds, but never mind, we didn’t!”

Fisher will have home advantage over Canterbury City in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Ashford United, Erith Town, Corinthian, Phoenix Sports, Cray Valley and most likely Beckenham Town (who travel to Sevenoaks Town with a 6-2 first leg lead on Tuesday night), are also fighting it out to reach the semi-finals.

“Difficult, but we’ve got a chance,” said Walton.

“We’re in there. I want to get a cross to people that most everyone will think in that draw let’s hope to draw Fisher but we ain’t a bad side. We’re not as bad as people think.”

Hume, meanwhile, was back in the dug-out tonight but was in discussion with club officials in the clubhouse after the game to tie up his return as manager.

Hume quit the club (then called Bly Spartans) after winning the Kent Invicta League title – and the Kent Invicta League Challenge Trophy - in April 2012 before Glenn Barlow took over for a season, before Phillips came in after managing Chatham Town’s reserve side last season.

Phillips explained why he stood down.

“I’m actually stopping Rochester after tonight so there’s a scoop for you,” he said.

“I will be doing some different work on Saturday’s. I found out on Friday so I said to the guys’ I have to step down after tonight’s game. 

“Chris Cooper and Michael Langston will carry on, that’s why Matt Hume was in the dug-out as well tonight.

“I’m going to do some scouting and match reports on Saturday afternoon’s, which I’ve been linking in with work. I’ve always wanted to do talent identification. It’s something that I’ve been talking to the County FA about as well for the 12-16 age group.”

Phillips would have been away from the club on two occasions in December to take charge of the Haart of Kent County League Representative side.

“I just can’t commit to everything and Rochester is the main one. It’s every Saturday, Monday night maybe training and I just feel I want to do something different.

“I don’t think at this level you could be coming and going.  Friday last week I got an email asking if I’d like to do some match reports, scouting, starting next Saturday. I can’t say who for, just in general basically. All linked into the talent ID, with the County FA.”

Phillips said he was disappointed having to quit the club after nineteen games in charge and on the back of four defeats on the spin.

“Michael Langston and Chris Cooper are going to carry on as they are at the moment and Matt Hume will just come back and oversee things for the time being,” he said.

“Yesterday I was with the under 16’s with Kent and tonight so it’s just non-stop at the moment. It’s disappointing because I enjoy doing it. I’ve done it for 12 seasons without pretty much a break.

“Chatham’s reserves folded last year because the reserve league wasn’t going anywhere so we didn’t have anywhere to go so we just applied for this. We got the opportunity but since then other things have come up. At this level you’ve got to do more than just train them. You’ve got to be out watching other teams but because of work I can’t.

“It’s frustrating but I do this seven days a week with work.  I really should be out watching the County squad and see what’s actually happening.”

When asked when he told his players the news, Phillips replied: “Tonight. Just after the game. They understand. None of the boys in there are getting paid so they have to drop out because of work commitments.

“My job is in football every day of the week, it’s another option to go down, so I just have to see how it goes. I’m going to miss it because I’ve been doing it for ever, basically I can’t remember when I haven’t done it! I’ll still do the Kent under 16s, the Rep team and then just float around.

“I work for The FA but the Kent under 16s are run by The Kent FA. It’s just my career so it helps me.”

Fisher: Jack Kelly, Aaron Seales, Piers Hanifan, Harvey Hanifan, Tom Carr, Billy Walton (Shaquille Richards 59), Junior Fatai (Troy Copeland 70), Harry Draper, Danny Maguire, Kieron Campbell, Troy Abbey.
Sub: Michael Daramola

Goal: Danny Maguire 87 (pen)

Booked: Billy Walton 58, Harry Draper 66

Sent Off: Troy Copeland 86

Rochester United: Joe Hagan, Connor Charlton, Steve Rothery, Harrison Grant, Neil Spackman (Daniel Bowden 63), Ricki Holmes, Ashley Cooper, Ali Musa, George Lowes (Anthony Louch 75), Samuel Musundi (Steve Ita 50), Rodrigue Ndiane.
Subs: Graeme Lugar, Nathan Lindo

Booked: Ricki Holmes 28, Ashley Cooper 45, Harrison Grant 85

Sent Off: Ricki Holmes 86

Attendance: 63
Referee: Mr Aivaras Lukauskis (Bermondsey, London SE1)
Assistants: Mr David Lunani (Bromley) & Mr Mohammed Dilawari (Battersea, London SW11)